THE UNDERPINNING.
What are you going to the blacksmith's for?" inquired Bertie, as he took the reins, proud to show his father how well he could drive.
"I'm going to engage him to mend the tools that the men break. It's very convenient to have a blacksmith so near. In the town where my parents lived, there was no blacksmith within three miles. My father was obliged to go all that distance to get his horse shod."
Mr. Hunt, the man they wished to see, had left his shop before they reached it, and was sitting in an open room at the back of his house eating his dinner. His red flannel shirt sleeves were rolled up to the elbow, showing his coarse, sinewy arms; and his hair was all in a tangle; but the moment Mr. Curtis saw him, he stepped forward, and shook hands as cordially as if they had been acquainted for years.
"I suppose you want your horse shod, Squire?" the man asked, looking well pleased at the cordial greeting. "I'll leave my dinner and go right to the shop with you."
"No, indeed. Sit down; and if your wife will allow me, I'll do my business here. I see you know me."
"Yes, sir, I've seen you at church; and I'm thankful that a man in your station has a heart to go there."
"And I listened to you teaching your Sabbath School class," added Mr. Curtis, laughing. "After that we couldn't be strangers long. You remember your text, 'If ye love me keep my commandments.' But now to business! I'm going to build a house and barn; and my men tell me you're the one to mend all my tools, shoe my horses, a kind of general Jack at all trades. I want to engage you to do all my business, and send me your bill the first day in every month. Is that satisfactory?"
"Yes, sir; and I thank you, too. As you're a church-going man I'll make free to tell you, Squire, you've taken a load off my mind. I've got a little girl sick these eighteen months; and I've only been waiting for the means to send her to a great doctor in the city. Now your promise makes my way clear."
"I'm glad you told me, Mr. Hunt. Mrs. Curtis will call and see your wife. I dare say between them they will contrive some plan to restore the child, with God's blessing. Come, Bertie, we will go."
Mr. Hunt and his wife followed to the gate, very much amused at the sight of the donkey and his carriage.
The next morning, Mr. Curtis asked his wife,—
"How would you like to ride with me to the granite quarry? I am going to buy underpinning for the house."
"If it isn't too far, I should enjoy it exceedingly."
"The drive there and back would be twenty miles; but you could lie down at the hotel and rest, if you choose, while I am at the quarry."
"I will get ready at once then. Shall we take the children?"
"Yes, if Bertie can leave his cares at Woodlawn."
The gentleman glanced archly at his son as he said this, and Bertie answered, laughing,—
"I think I can trust Tom and Jim till I get back; but I don't understand what underpinnings are."
"You will learn that by and by. Now run and ask Nurse to dress Winnie, for I see Mike has the carriage out."
When they reached the quarry, they found it so difficult to drive the carriage near to the rough building where they were told the owner could be found, that papa turned back and drove through one street to a fine hotel. He called for a private parlor, and left mamma resting on the sofa with Winnie to keep her company, while he took Herbert to the large quarry, tied Duke, and went to see the huge blocks of granite that were being cut out.
It was about an hour before they were seated in the carriage again with their faces toward home.
"I wish you could have gone with me, Cecilia," papa began, "it is worth seeing. I found some blocks of granite exactly the size I want."
"Are they already hewn, Lawrence?"
"No, dear! but they will be ready and on the ground before we want to use them."
"What is hewn?" inquired Bertie.
"Don't you remember the rough pieces I selected, and those others so smooth and polished next them?"
"Yes, sir."
"And didn't you see those men at work on a long shaft or pillar? They are called stone-cutters, and they were hewing them. They have a sharp instrument with which they continually chop, chop, or strike; and this hews off the rough places, making the whole smooth. I engaged my posts, too, for the gates, Cecilia; and a curb-stone to lay on the top of the wall nearest the house. That makes a handsome finish."
"You did a great deal of business for so short a time, Lawrence."
He laughed. "I only spent about fourteen hundred dollars. It doesn't take long to do that. I fancy the owner thought he had done a good morning's work. He had heard of my purchase, and was coming to see me to engage the job. Oh, I forgot to tell you! I bought the steps, too. Three flights, very handsome ones."
